5 Things Conan Could Do Next

NBC's shabby treatment of Conan O'Brien has been a recurring theme of the Jay Leno-centric late-night shuffle, but "he-who-rocks-the-dopest-pompadour-on-TV" has more options than you might think. MTV ponders his options.

• Defect to Fox: The network is apparently interested, and it would be a great way to tick off NBC. But Fox has a terrible track record with late-night talk shows.
• Saturday Night Live: O'Brien's writing tenure at SNL coincided with a memorably strong run for the show, but Tonight Show host to "Cheeto-dusted anonymity" is a major step down.

• Write a tell-all: It would be hilarious and informative, but writing a memoir would mean leaving TV for an extended period—in essence, throwing in the towel.
• Become a reality star: O'Brien already has a Jersey Shore nickname, but "you can't taint your brand by slumming it at the lowest common denominator."
• Stay put: The NBC bosses are jerks, but you're still the host of the Tonight Show. The start time might be humiliating, but any other job will be a step down.

(More Conan O'Brien stories.)